The Pistoletto Foundation is preparing to take center stage again at the Venice Architecture Biennale. It all began last May, when Cittadellarte opened the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale—open until November 23, 2025—titled Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective., with the work The Third Paradise Perspective (full details in our previous article). The installation, located in the first room of the Corderie dell'Arsenale, underscores the urgency of a collective reflection on the future of the planet and the importance of solutions generated by human ingenuity. The Pistoletto Foundation is also present with the Statodellarte, in the Intelligens CANON exhibition: an "exhibition within the exhibition" that examines emblematic and innovative projects, bringing together transversal projects that serve as a virtuous model for contemporary architecture. Within the Canon, Cittadellarte's Statodellarte was selected as a concrete example of social transformation. The project is based on Demopraxy, a form of civic-political organization that values ​​communities of practice as active instruments of change and, as a continually evolving collective effort, guides the future by combining freedom and responsibility.

Intelli_Gens Demopratica

In the wake and footsteps of Demopraxy, a meeting proposed by Cittadellarte will take place next Tuesday: Intelli_Gens Demopratica, scheduled for October 21, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Speakers' Corner at the Corderie dell'Arsenale. The event, part of the Biennale's GENS Public Programme, will be a day of discussion dedicated to collective intelligence, shared responsibility, and new civic architectures for social and territorial transformation. Drawing on the vision of the Third Paradise and the concrete practice of Demopraxy, the program includes round tables and opportunities for dialogue with scholars, administrators, artists, and cultural practitioners active in various international contexts. The initiative therefore presents an opportunity to explore Demopractic Works—construction sites of civic innovation that generate impact in their communities—and to reflect together on the challenges and prospects of shared public action.

The Beginning

The day, moderated by Michele Cerruti But, academic coordinator of Accademia Unidee and professor of Urban Planning at the Polytechnic University of Turin, will begin at 11:00 a.m. with an opening address and introduction by Giuliana Setari, President of the Pistoletto Foundation and representative of Opera Demopratica Scanno. Following this, at 11:10 a.m., Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, President of the Biennale, and Carlo Ratti, Curator of the Architecture Biennale, will speak. At 11:25 a.m., Pierluigi Biondi, Mayor of L’Aquila, Sara Gentile, Deputy Mayor of Biella and Councilor for Culture of Biella, and Emanuele Ramella Pralungo, President of the Province of Biella, will offer their welcome remarks. This will be followed by a speech by Cittadellarte Director Paolo Naldini, "Art for Infrastructuring the Social."

First Session - Impacts

The event will continue with the working sessions. The first, starting with Demopractic works as a tool for social transformation and territorial regeneration, will explore how they have generated results and initiatives for change. The roundtable will include Walter El Nagar, founder of the Refettorio Ginevra and the Mater Foundation, as well as coordinator of the Opera Demopratica in Geneva; Giacomo Bassmaji, architect and coordinator of the Opera Demopratica Nova Gorica/Gorizia; and Michela Magrì, director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul and coordinator of the Opera Demopratica Korea.

Second Session - Challenges

Starting a democratic project means addressing some significant challenges: how do you ensure the implementation and maintenance of a project? How do you sustain yourself financially? These are the topics that will be explored in the second roundtable discussion with Nazarena Lanza, coordinator of Opera Demopratica Biella; Laura Salas, coordinator of Opera Demopratica La Habana; Giorgio de Finis, director of the Museo delle Periferie Azienda Speciale Palaexpo Roma and coordinator of Opera Demopratica Roma; and Manuela Maffioli, Councilor for Culture and Identity of the City of Busto Arsizio and coordinator of Opera Demopratica Busto Arsizio. Following the roundtable discussion, Luca Bergamo, coordinator of Statodellarte at Cittadellarte and former deputy mayor of Rome, will deliver a speech titled "Lo Statodellarte è un innovazione politica" (State of the Art is a Political Innovation). The morning's closing remarks will be delivered by Francesco Saverio Teruzzi, coordinator of the Rebirth/Terzo Paradiso ambassadors. After the 2:00 PM lunch break, work will resume at 3:00 PM with a talk entitled Art and Civic Innovation by Pierluigi Sacco, Professor of Biobehavioral Economics at the University of Chieti-Pescara, Scientific Coordinator for L'Aquila, Italian Capital of Culture 2026, and President of Bourges, European Capital of Culture 2028.

Third Session - Projects

"Identifying needs, seizing opportunities, and envisioning futures are the foundation of every new democratic effort. In this session, we will discuss projects that are underway and their expectations." This is the presentation of the third and final session, scheduled for 3:15 PM. Giuliana Setari and the coordinators of the Opera Demopratica L'Aquila and the Opera Demopratica Ivrea will discuss the topic. Following this, Mariella Stella, Vice President of Netural Coop and coordinator of the Opera Demopratica Nova Gorica/Gorizia, will give a talk entitled The Challenge of Shared Administration. At 4:15 pm, moderator Michele Cerruti But will offer a summary of the day, while at 4:30 pm the curtain will fall on Intelli_Gens Demopratica with conclusions by Paolo Naldini.